It caught the NBA off guard last October when the San Antonio Spurs waived Josh Primo, the No.12 pick in the 2021 Draft, who had shown promise. Then came the reasoning — he had allegedly exposed himself multiple times to female members of the Spurs staff (which led to a lawsuit from the team psychologist).
Now the NBA league office has stepped in with a four-game suspension of Primo for “conduct detrimental to the league.” Here is the league’s comment on the suspension:
The league conducted its own investigation and consulted with relevant experts. Following that process, the league found that Primo engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women. Primo maintains that his conduct was not intentional, and the league did not find evidence that he engaged in any sexual or other misconduct apart from these brief exposures. Nevertheless, this behavior does not conform to league standards and warrants discipline.
The reason that news dropped Friday morning came later in the day when Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported the Clippers are signing Primo to a two-way contract (something confirmed by Clippers beat reporters).
Primo underwent evaluation with specialists who consult with the Clippers and the organization is comfortable giving him this opportunity. The NBA suspended Primo for four games Friday after a probe found that he had “engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing… https://t.co/2uSk5t1Axc
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 29, 2023
Exhibitionism is a psychological disorder and part of the DSM 5, and there are treatments through psychotherapy and medications.
Primo, a 20-year-old point forward, averaged 23 minutes a night for the Spurs, and seven points a game, when they waived him. At the time he was suspended, Primo released this statement:
“I know that you all are surprised by today’s announcement. I’ve been seeking help to deal with previous trauma I have suffered and will now take this time to focus on my mental health treatment more fully. I hope to be able to discuss these issues in the future so I can help others who have suffered in a similar way. I appreciate privacy at this time.”